Work is underway in South Africa to amend the country’s national guidelines for drug-resistant TB to provide a shorter, six-month, all-oral regimen as a new standard of care treatment.

In their current form, South Africa’s TB preventive therapy (TPT) guidelines are out of step with the World Health Organization (WHO)’s guidance on TPT that recommends the use of new, shorter course TPT regimens, as well as providing TPT to all household contacts of people with TB.

PAS (Para-aminosalicylic acid or PASER); PAS-sodium (Para-aminosalicylic acid sodium)

PAS was discovered in 1944. Initially, PAS was used to treat TB, but with the discovery of other more potent drugs including rifampicin, its use in first line regimens was discontinued. PAS is still useful as part of a treatment regimen for XDR TB although its benefit is limited and it is extremely toxic.

Prothionamide (Pto)

Cycloserine (Cs)